Orioles third baseman, who was injured Monday, will be eligible to return Aug. 27

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles' decision to place Manny Machado on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday wasn't a surprise, just another hurdle in a frustrating season for the third baseman.

Machado, who missed the first month of the season with a torn medial patellofemoral ligament in his left knee and served a five-game suspension at the start of July for a bat-throwing incident, sprained his right knee during an 11-3 win against the Yankees on Monday. The All-Star broke his bat on a ground ball to Derek Jeter and twisted his right knee in the process. He was helped off the field by manager Buck Showalter and head athletic trainer Richie Bancells, and had an MRI on the knee the following day, which confirmed the sprain.

"It's part of the game," Machado said on Wednesday. "We play 162 games. We give what we need to give every day to help the team win. It's one of those situations where your body gets banged up."

The O's haven't given a timetable for Machado's return. He'll be eligible to return from the DL on Aug. 27, but chuckled at the suggestion that he could return in two weeks. He says he'll return when he's able "to go out there and be Manny Machado."

In his place, the Orioles can split up their second-base platoon of Ryan Flaherty and Jonathan Schoop and play one at third base or use Chris Davis at the position until Machado returns. The latter was their plan for Wednesday, with Flaherty still filling in for injured shortstop J.J. Hardy.

"I'm looking to see if we can get him on the 27th," manager Buck Showalter said. "If not, the 28th. If not, the 29th. I feel confident that it's 'when' and not 'if.'"

In Machado's stead, Baltimore recalled Cord Phelps from Triple-A Norfolk. Phelps hit .258 with a .358 on-base percentage for the Tides this year. He has a .159 career batting average in 113 at-bats over three seasons with the Indians.

Machado was batting .278 with 12 home runs before heading to the DL, and he was in the midst of his best stretch of the season. Since returning from his suspension on July 5, Machado is batting .351 with five home runs and had seemed to shed all lingering effects from the injury that kept him out for the first month of the season.

Machado has dealt with knee injuries before, although never in his right knee. In addition to the tear he suffered in September of last year that held him out until May 1, Machado sustained a patella subluxation in his left knee in 2011 with Class A Delmarva that kept him out for two months.

"Going through one knee surgery already, I know what to expect," Machado said. "I know what I need to do, so it's just going to help me out, hopefully move this process quicker and just get after it, basically. I know what I need to get done. I know I need to get stronger. I know what I need to do, so that's in my hands and I've just got to go out there and just get it done."

David Wilson is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.